Publications by authors named "Yu Bin Seo"
Therapeutic options for the treatment of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19: a scoping review.
BMC Infect Dis
May 2025
Objectives: This scoping review aimed to summarize the available studies to address the question of which therapeutic agents can be utilized for patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC).
Methods: We conducted a systematic search in medical databases, including PubMed and Embase, for studies aligned with our objectives published between January 1, 2020, and July 22, 2024. For each study, we summarized the main symptoms targeted, study design, therapeutic regimens, evaluation tools, and clinical outcomes.
South Korea's current vaccination policies leave a surveillance gap for non-National Immunization Program (NIP) vaccines. In this study, we proposed a sentinel surveillance approach for monitoring the safety of non-NIP vaccines. Vaccination data were collected retrospectively among patients hospitalized with pre-defined adverse events of special interest (AESI) by reviewing electronic medical records in five university hospitals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates in pregnant women remain low owing to safety concerns. When evaluating vaccine safety, comparisons with unvaccinated individuals may lead to healthy vaccinee bias. This study aimed to investigate the association between mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy-related adverse outcomes compared with influenza vaccination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) account for a large proportion of healthcare-associated infections and have a significant impact on morbidity, length of hospital stay, and mortality. Adherence to the recommended infection prevention practices can effectively reduce the incidence of CAUTIs. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of CAUTIs and the efficacy of prevention programs across hospitals of various sizes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUpdated Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Long COVID.
Infect Chemother
March 2024
Article Synopsis
- "Long COVID" refers to ongoing symptoms from COVID-19 that last over three months, creating a significant public health challenge worldwide.
- The guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of long COVID are based on recent research and expert consensus, addressing 32 key questions related to the condition.
- Comprehensive evaluations for long COVID patients should include medical history and tests, and vaccination plus antiviral treatment during the acute phase are recommended to lower the risk of long COVID.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examined the durability of immunity following the third dose of COVID-19 vaccines in 94 healthy adults, finding that antibody levels remained significantly higher even 9-12 months later compared to levels after the second dose.
- - Anti-spike IgG antibody responses peaked after the third dose but gradually decreased over time; however, breakthrough infections during the Omicron period increased neutralizing antibodies against various strains.
- - The results suggest that the mRNA vaccine booster leads to lasting humoral immunity for at least a year and maintains T-cell immunity, indicating the potential for an annual COVID-19 vaccination approach.
Background: With the global increase in the older population, the proportion of those receiving care in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) has also been increasing. We assessed the epidemiology, antibiotic susceptibility, and colonization status of drug-resistant organisms in patients transferred from LTCFs.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients transferred from LTCFs between 2017 and 2022.
Establishment of Safety Monitoring System for Vaccines Not Included in the National Immunization Program in Korea.
J Korean Med Sci
February 2024
Article Synopsis
- - In Korea, there is currently no surveillance for vaccines outside the national immunization program (NIP), and adult vaccine safety monitoring is insufficient, prompting the need for a new safety monitoring system for non-NIP vaccines.
- - The study involved monitoring the safety of four non-NIP vaccines (Tdap, PCV13, ZVL, and RZV) by collecting data on adverse events through questionnaires sent to individuals after vaccination at various healthcare institutions.
- - Results showed high response rates for monitoring, with 555 identified adverse events over 10 months, leading to the establishment of a safety system that requires ongoing government support for effectiveness and improvement.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to compare the occurrence of adverse events of special interest (AESIs) between two types of COVID-19 vaccines: adenoviral vector-based (ChAdOx1) and mRNA-based (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273).
- - Researchers analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Service database, finding that both vaccine types had low incidences of AESIs, but noted higher rates of certain heart-related issues in those who received mRNA vaccines.
- - Key findings highlighted significant differences in safety profiles between the two vaccine platforms, especially regarding myocarditis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, while overall adverse event risks were low for both.
Effectiveness of Antiviral Therapy on Long COVID: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
J Clin Med
November 2023
Article Synopsis
- Antiviral treatments can lessen the severity and death from COVID-19, but their impact on long COVID-19 remains uncertain.
- This study examined if these antiviral drugs could prevent long COVID and reduce related hospitalizations and deaths by analyzing observational studies from 2020 to 2023.
- The findings revealed that early antiviral therapy led to a 27.5% lower occurrence of long COVID symptoms and a 29.7% reduced risk of hospitalization and mortality compared to just supportive treatments, suggesting it's beneficial for at-risk individuals.*
Article Synopsis
- In South Korea, the population at risk for pneumococcal diseases is highly vaccinated, but the distribution of pneumococcal serotypes is changing, complicating vaccine administration.
- A cohort study analyzed 5,009 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), revealing serotype 3 as the most prevalent, even among fully vaccinated individuals, with advanced age and other health factors increasing the risk of 30-day mortality.
- The findings indicate that while vaccination with the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) can lower mortality rates, serotypes 3 and 19A remain common causes of pneumococcal infections, challenging the effectiveness of current vaccination strategies.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the link between COVID-19 vaccination (BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1) and the risk of reactivating herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles.
- Researchers reviewed herpes zoster cases from February to June 2021 using matched case-control and propensity score matching analyses.
- Findings indicated that the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 raises the risk of herpes zoster within 18 days post-vaccination, particularly after the first and second doses, while the adenovirus-vectored vaccine ChAdOx1 showed no increased risk.
Article Synopsis
- The study compared the pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety profiles of two fenofibric acid formulations, a 135 mg capsule and a 110 mg enteric-coated tablet, under fasting and fed conditions.
- Conducted as a crossover phase 1 clinical trial with 120 healthy Korean men, blood samples were analyzed to assess how each formulation performed over 72 hours.
- Results showed that the enteric-coated tablet had better bioavailability and was easier to swallow, taking longer to reach peak concentration than the capsule in both fasting and fed states.
Humoral and cellular immunogenicity of homologous and heterologous booster vaccination in Ad26.COV2.S-primed individuals: Comparison by breakthrough infection.
Front Immunol
March 2023
Article Synopsis
- A study investigated the immune response of adults who received the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine followed by a booster with BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, or Ad26.COV2.S, measuring antibody levels and responses at various intervals post-vaccination.
- After 6 months, all booster groups showed significantly higher antibody levels compared to their baseline, although neutralizing antibodies against Omicron variants were notably lower than those against the wild type virus.
- Despite the immune response improvements, breakthrough infections were reported in over 50% of participants across all booster groups, suggesting that while boosting improved immunity, it did not completely prevent infections.
Background: The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants and the persistence of the pandemic, even with mass coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, have raised questions about the durability of immunity and extent of cross-reactive immunity after vaccination. This study aimed to characterize the humoral and cellular immune response to the mRNA-1273 vaccine using a prospective longitudinal cohort.
Methods: We recruited 177 young SARS-CoV-2 infection-naive adults.
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination was developed to mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. However, data on antibody kinetics and factors influencing these vaccines' immunogenicity are limited. We conducted a prospective study on healthy young adults who received two doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine at 28-day intervals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Prescription Rate and Outcomes in Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Single Center Study.
Infect Chemother
December 2022
Background: Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was Korea's first oral antiviral agent to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We analyzed the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescription rate and treatment outcomes in treatment-eligible patients with COVID-19 receiving home-based care.
Materials And Methods: We retrospectively collected data of patients with COVID-19-eligible for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment from January 14, 2022, to February 15, 2022.
Evaluation of the safety and immunogenicity of new vaccine platforms is needed to increase public acceptance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. Here, we evaluated the association between reactogenicity and immunogenicity in healthy adults following vaccination by analyzing blood samples before and after sequential two-dose vaccinations of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. Outcomes included anti-S IgG antibody and neutralizing antibody responses, adverse events, and proinflammatory cytokine responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmacokinetic Interaction between Atorvastatin and Omega-3 Fatty Acid in Healthy Volunteers.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel)
August 2022
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore how atorvastatin (a statin) and omega-3 fatty acids interact at a pharmacokinetic level through a phase 1 trial.
- Researchers conducted the trial with 37 subjects who were administered different combinations of atorvastatin and omega-3 over specified periods to measure drug concentrations.
- Results showed significant pharmacokinetic interactions between atorvastatin and omega-3 fatty acids, as highlighted by the geometric mean ratios and 90% confidence intervals indicating deviations from typical bioequivalence standards.
Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity of Ad26.COV2.S in Korean Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study.
J Korean Med Sci
July 2022
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates the immune response of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine against COVID-19 variants in healthy adults vaccinated between June 2021 and January 2022.
- Results showed that antibody levels peaked 5-8 weeks post-vaccination but then declined by weeks 10-12, with weaker responses against Delta and Omicron variants compared to the original virus.
- Most adverse effects were mild and included pain at the injection site and fatigue, with most effects resolving within two days, indicating the vaccine was both safe and effective.
Article Synopsis
- COVID-19 outbreaks related to variants continued in Korea even after vaccine distribution, highlighting the need for effective treatment guidelines.
- Eighteen public hospitals collaborated to develop clinical pathways (CPs) that included specific criteria, flow charts, and standardized orders to streamline patient care.
- After implementing the CPs, there were significant improvements in patient and staff satisfaction, shorter hospital stays, and reduced medical costs, with ongoing updates to the protocols as new treatments and policies emerged.
Thirty-Day Mortality Rates in Patients with Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Bacteremia Receiving Ertapenem versus Other Carbapenems.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother
July 2022
Ertapenem is one of the carbapenems recommended for treating extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing . However, efficacy data are limited. We compared 30-day mortality rates for patients receiving ertapenem and other carbapenems for treatment of ESBL-producing bacteremia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEstimation of optimal antiviral stockpile for a novel influenza pandemic.
J Infect Public Health
July 2022
Background: A stockpile of antiviral drugs is important for mitigating a novel influenza pandemic. Recently, intervention strategies against such a pandemic have improved significantly, affecting the required size and composition of the stockpile. Our goal is to estimate the optimal ratio of conventional to newer antiviral drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- This study analyzed the outcomes of COVID-19 patients receiving at-home care in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, from October to December 2021.
- A total of 1,422 patients were monitored, with most being older adults and without underlying health conditions; the median care length was 8 days.
- It was found that patients with diabetes and those who were presymptomatic were more likely to be transferred to healthcare facilities, but overall, there were no significant safety issues with at-home care.